10/2007

The 2007 Facelift was very successful. The final count was 2,945 volunteers that contributed 18,335 man hours. The cleaning was contagious as people jumped in to help participants fill their bags. The Park Service valued the work at $344,148.00. 132 miles of roadway were cleaned. Items including toilet paper, cigarette butts, and micro-trash were removed from the woods at all turnouts throughout the park. 80 plus miles of trails were cleaned and the Merced River Corridor was cleaned from Happy Isles to the NPS Warehouse in El Portal. All lodging, campgrounds, and housing areas in the Valley and Tuolumne were cleaned. Certain abandoned infrastructures were removed which was the majority of the weight. In all over 42,330 pounds were collected and everything that could be recycled was. About 32,000 pounds of the weight was from special projects we took on, helping rid the park of old infrastructure that NPS does not have funding to remove.

Close to 400 people attended the reception following the cleanup and enjoyed the free food and beverages provided by Delaware North Parks & Resorts at Yosemite. Thanks to over 70 sponsors who donated an array of prizes, participants were rewarded with a daily raffle and a final raffle during the reception.

Volunteers world-wide showed up to do their part in being land stewards. YCA thanks all the volunteers who showed up and made the Facelift a success. Without them this event wouldn't have been possible. Everyone had a great time and many old friends and new were brought together during this event. We look forward to next years Facelift and hope to see you all there!

Another Note from Katie

Now that the 2007 Facelift has come and gone I'm left to consider what the steps are in preparing for next year and how can we all keep the spirit of taking care of our land going? As ideas start to come to me I'm left with the nagging question of why is there so much trash to pick-up in the first place.

Well, as it may seem obvious (granted sometimes the obvious goes unnoticed) the trash comes from our consumption and throw-away acts. Ideally here at YCA next year we hope to see a decrease in the amount of trash that we pick-up. Eventually it would be a blessing to have absolutely no trash to pick up. But, it seems that at the rate we buy and use and dispose that there will forever be trash. So, I just want to share some thoughts on what we can all do to help decrease the ever increasing trash. Next time you go to the store ask yourself what is it that you really need? How much is necessary to sustain one-self? If we all cut back on how much we buy and consume there would be a huge decrease in the amount that we "throw away." And to dig just a little bit deeper, the idea of a place to throw something away is an illusion. There is no "away," everything we create stays here with us on this earth. Thus, the more we use the more we create the more we have to seemingly throw away therefore the more trash we have to manage and carry around with us. One simple thing to do is to not buy bottled water. Usually your tap water is just as clean if not cleaner than the stuff they sell in the store. End result, no more pesky plastic bottles to deal with. And don't we all own enough plastic bottles already, so why not reuse them?

I say these things not to create feelings of being overwhelmed or to come off as preachy but to stir-up some more conscious thoughts about what we use, how we use it and where will it go afterwards. So, that hopefully come next year and the years following trash won't even be an issue.

Sincerely,

Katie Lambert

A Call to All Artists

The YCA 3rd Annual Art Auction will take place in one month. We are seeking any interested artists to make a donation for this event. We are looking for art of all mediums and subjects. For more information or submissions please contact Ken Yager at yager@inreach.com

Facelift in the News

Last week ABC's network television crew from New York paid a visit to Yosemite to get news coverage of the Yosemite Facelift. Our volunteer clean-up effort will yield a nice piece on the evening of Monday, October 8th. This will air on ABC World News with Charles Gibson under the "Keys to Success" segment. This is significant and positive press for Yosemite that will air nationally in millions of homes. Please tune in and tell your friends.

Donations Keep Us Going

Now that the dust has settled from the clean-up we are getting back on task with the museum. But, as with any and all organizations funding is essential to maintain and keep going. We received numerous donations during the Facelift, all of which helped us to offset the cost of the event; and we are so very thankful for the contributions and support. We are asking that you keep us in mind and if you are interested financially in helping us make our dream of a climbing museum come true then please send your tax deductible donation to Yosemite Climbing Association PO Box 89 Yosemite National Park, CA 95389.